Power and Principle in the Market Place

Book excerpt: In the global financial crisis, the need to develop a new kind of economy with a closer relation between ethics and economics has become an important challenge to the international society. This book contributes to this debate by investigating different aspects of global business ethics and corporate social responsibility which are becoming more and more important in the ongoing discussions on the relation between market institutions and democratic governments. The different chapters of the book deal with fundamental philosophical issues of the ethics of the market economy, including discussions of the role of the social sciences and economics in contributing to a sustainable economics and global responsibility in the twenty-first century. In this sense, the book takes up the transnational debate on ethics and economics in order to contribute to a more balanced, fair, just and conscientious development in the world. The book starts with a European perspective on these issues, based on philosophical, sociological and economic views from Europe. These views are further developed in order to share thoughts of how to improve corporate social responsibility, welfare and justice, and the advancement of ethical principles in the international context. It is argued that in the international community, good corporate citizenship as social and environmental responsibility is realized through individual and organizational cosmopolitan responsibility for fostering the common good for humanity. The chapters of the book were originally presented at a conference in Copenhagen, organized together with the German Cultural Institute - the Goethe Institute of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School and Roskilde University, Denmark.